Vanessa VanDyke, 12, faces expulsion from her Central Florida school if she doesn’t cut, or at least groom her puffy afro hairstyle, WKMG Local 6 reports.

Vanessa, who is a talented violinist, said school officials gave her an ultimatum: either cut her unruly afro or be expelled from Faith Christian Academy in Orlando, where she has been a student since the third grade.

School officials point to a dress code policy that prohibits hairstyles or attire that causes a distraction.

The dress code examples include, but are not limited to, mohawks, shaved designs and rat tails.

But Vanessa and her mother have no plans to change her hairstyle because her unkempt afro is part of the teenagers “personal identity”.

“It says that I’m unique,” said VanDyke. “First of all, it’s puffy and I like it that way. I know people will tease me about it because it’s not straight. I don’t fit in.”

“A distraction to one person is not a distraction to another,” said VanDyke’s mother, Sabrina Kent. “You can have a kid come in with pimples on his face. Are you going to call that a distraction?”

VanDyke said she’s had her large, natural hair all year long, but it only became an issue after the family complained about students teasing her about her hair.

“There have been bullies in the school,” said Kent. “There have been people teasing her about her hair, and it seems to me that they’re blaming her.”

“I’m depressed about leaving my friends and people that I’ve known for a while, but I’d rather have that than the principals and administrators picking on me and saying that I should change my hair,” said VanDyke. Source

When self-centered children are taught that the rules don’t apply to them, it can lead to a false sense of entitlement that mushrooms into full-blown narcissism by the time the child reaches adulthood.

Update: WKMG.com reports that school administrators at Faith Christian Academy in Orlando won’t force Vanessa to straighten or cut her unkempt afro. Read more here.

That’s crazy. If I were her parents, I’d take my private schools funds elsewhere.

Caramel Rain

When self-centered children are taught that the rules don’t apply to them, it can lead to a false sense of entitlement that mushrooms into full-blown narcissism by the time the child reaches adulthood.

************** This is a two fold issue. Yes, we are taught to embrace individuality and creativeness. Yes, we teach our kids to love themselves and embrace the hair that God gave you that naturally grows from your scalp, but there are dress codes and most places require that you keep your hair neat and groomed and some places, of a natural color.AND this is a private institution so they can enforce whatever rules they want. If you dont like it, then kick rocks. Their school, their rules. I dont agree with it, but its the way it is. IDK. IDC. I’m sleepy

MisTaken :cell: The Black Mamba

A.J.

Well listen (don’t turn up on me) If I had a child, she or he would not be allowed to leave the house with their hair looking like hers!

AND a 12 year old would not have self-identity in my household. I will provide identities in this MF!! #oldschool #blamesociety

ImSoZah

This is the way her hair grows out of her head. Are white girls in the same school not allowed to wear theri hair out? This is foolery.

FuturedocDonte

When self-centered children are taught that the rules don’t apply to them, it can lead to a false sense of entitlement that mushrooms into full-blown narcissism by the time the child reaches adulthood.

**************
This is a two fold issue. Yes, we are taught to embrace individuality and creativeness.
—
Hey currrrmel

r2dmax

When self-centered children are taught that the rules don’t apply to them, it can lead to a false sense of entitlement that mushrooms into full-blown narcissism by the time the child reaches adulthood.
________________________________________________________________

TRUTH!

lovezoe

Sandra- you hate when folks wear weaves and then you hate when folks wear the hair God gave them. Schools need to be less worried about hair and more about academics.

MisTaken :cell: The Black Mamba

So how bout dem (insert anything) . Trying to make it till I leave. Then I gotta go home and pack quickly and Ride out in my Rav 4

A.J.

Ride out in my Rav 4
_________
Come on Rav4!!

libra80sbaby

A.J. says:

Well listen (don’t turn up on me) If I had a child, she or he would not be allowed to leave the house with their hair looking like hers!
AND a 12 year old would not have self-identity in my household. I will provide identities in this MF!! #oldschool #blamesociety
—————====== You have no self-identity until you buy your own clothes, shoes, etc.

FuturedocDonte

Sandra- you hate when folks wear weaves and then you hate when folks wear the hair God gave them. Schools need to be less worried about hair and more about academics.
———

lovezoe

I was watching a bit of The Tankards :ducks: and ion like the way they treat the daughter who got knocked up at 14, but let the baby girl stay out until 2:30? Prom night.

twindemplz02

LOVEZOE says……….Sandra- you hate when folks wear weaves and then you hate when folks wear the hair God gave them. Schools need to be less worried about hair and more about academics

r2dmax

The “natural hair” movement is not about NOT COMBING or CARING for your hair. Its about seeing the texture and styling it in a way that is self expressive and unique.

Her hair looks like she has a lazy mother and/or father that have taught her that “afro” is her self expression. I have two children, one grown so I can speak on it. I get the principal that is there, but she is getting teased because she looks unkempt. Keep the natural look, but do something with it. Its not always someone elses fault

lovezoe

Ride out in my Rav 4
///—/-//
But that’s what you asked for

A.J.

You have no self-identity until you buy your own clothes, shoes, etc.
_________
You better speak on it! That’s the way I was raised and it worked out very well for me!

Caramel Rain

libra80sbaby says:

A.J. says:

Well listen (don’t turn up on me) If I had a child, she or he would not be allowed to leave the house with their hair looking like hers!
AND a 12 year old would not have self-identity in my household. I will provide identities in this MF!! #oldschool #blamesociety
—————======
You have no self-identity until you buy your own clothes, shoes, etc.
********* x2

r2dmax

kids sitting behind her in class dont get called on… That one side probably tickles the neck of kids sitting beside her. probably has a Tea Cup Yorkie in that mess…

…sorry, I couldn’t resist.

A.J.

Her hair looks like she has a lazy mother and/or father that have taught her that “afro” is her self expression.
__________
That’s exactly how it looks to me! Can we get at least a Conair Hotcomb or something? Hell I’ll take a scrunchie to pull that back!

Caramel Rain

heeeeeyyyyy Donte! Whatchu cooking for Turkey day? Since your wife will be resting

This is completely ludicrous!! We have the same policy in place as it relates to hairstyles that are distractions. However, there is a fine line you tug at when you say someone’s hair is a distraction.

If I could change the policy I would. What I have done is address individuals that have question certain hairstyles. In this case, this is a non-issue. As someone stated, the focus should be more on academics vs. hairstyles.

lovezoe

I’m sleep on this convo. I’m gone get upset and that’s not me no mo

MisTaken :cell: The Black Mamba

Come on Rav4!!
________________
They was 2 for $20. Like Applebees. Don’t hate One break down I the other. I got like 8

IsThisThingOn…

This is a two fold issue. Yes, we are taught to embrace individuality and creativeness. Yes, we teach our kids to love themselves and embrace the hair that God gave you that naturally grows from your scalp, but there are dress codes and most places require that you keep your hair neat and groomed and some places, of a natural color.AND this is a private institution so they can enforce whatever rules they want. If you dont like it, then kick rocks. Their school, their rules. I dont agree with it, but its the way it is. IDK. IDC. I’m sleepy

_____________________

All of this ^^^^^. Somewhere in the small print on their enrollment contract they’ve already agreed to the adhere to the rules. If it’s a good school somebody else is waiting to get their kid in there. They certainly don’t need to CUT her hair, but fighting the school on their own definition of ‘neatness’ or whatever may be a losing battle. They should decide one way or the other if they want to fight or switch, just don’t drag it out.

Caramel Rain

r2dmax says:

kids sitting behind her in class dont get called on… That one side probably tickles the neck of kids sitting beside her. probably has a Tea Cup Yorkie in that mess…

*******
Leave the puppy outta this

Apparition

Blue Ivy’s future?

FuturedocDonte

@caramel not a dayum thing…. My mama and sister have been granted permission to take over my kitchen from the hours of 7-330

amatrex

“r2dmax says:

The “natural hair” movement is not about NOT COMBING or CARING for your hair. Its about seeing the texture and styling it in a way that is self expressive and unique.

Her hair looks like she has a lazy mother and/or father that have taught her that “afro” is her self expression. I have two children, one grown so I can speak on it. I get the principal that is there, but she is getting teased because she looks unkempt. Keep the natural look, but do something with it. Its not always someone elses fault.”
————————————————————–

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

lovezoe

First the girl with dreads, now this. One version of neat is not another version. But I’m sleep.

Keep it natural; braid it or pull it into something. If her hair looks like its coming to me, it’s a distraction! Her hair is all over the place!

There should be no “Macy Gray’s” in the classroom.

lovezoe

A Central Florida teen told Local 6 on Monday she faced expulsion because administrators at her private school wanted her to cut and shape her hair. But a day later, administrators appeared to have changed their mind, saying she will not be expelled.

IsThisThingOn…

“I will provide identities in this MF!!”

___________________

Amen! *church wave*

A.J.

Morning Smonae hey love!

Smonae

If the school has strict rules in place and everyone else is following it, this kids parents need to follow the rules and comb her hair
She can wear it how she wants after school and on the weekends

Caramel Rain

School is much more than academics. When you reach school age, you spend more time at school then you do at home. School prepares you for your future. You learn to share, cooperative, play with others, learning to tolerate others, diversity and prepare you for the outside world; the REAL world where there are rules and they dont care about you. It’s multidimensional. etc… my .02

FuturedocDonte

I have have problems all over the board with this.
Problems with little girl and mom:
Just because you have natural hair does not mean you have to look like you just walked off the cast of 12 years a slave. There is a way to keep a nice, untangled, not messy AFRO. Mama, Do better

School
Your job is to educate. Not to make something that wasn’t really a distraction a major distraction. Children will turn anything into a distraction for a laugh. Will you be expelling all of the over weight kids, kids with worn out shoes, etc. School, Do better

Simplicity

This young lady has gone a half of a school year and previous years with her hair like this. The rules were in place then, and should’ve been enforced if there was an issue. It only became a problem when the parents complained she was being teased. So what are we teaching the other kids, it’s okay to tease others? I swear schools focus on the wrong issues.

MisTaken :cell: The Black Mamba

Listening to Tamia Please answers questions 1-3. Do he love me? Lost interest? Is he cheating? Here’s the reasons why I ask these things….

I might need to change the song though. Be going home shaking tables like off some music

gypsyeyes

It’s one thing to be expressive and one thing to just not care. There was a lil girl when my kids were in elementary school that wore all of these butterflies in her hair. They moved whenever she moved her head and my daughter would get in trouble. She sat behind the lil girl and would touch the wings when they moved. So they moved my daughter and the next kid did the same thing. So finally they had to tell the mother to not put them in her hair as they were a distraction. People have to know when to hold them and when to fold them. School is not the place to be self expressive. School is about structure and discipline and the sooner people learn that the sooner teachers can just teach.

A.J.

I want her to get grown and go to a job interview with hair like that and see that she wont move past the waiting area!!

OutsidetheBox

If i had.. #key words.. Good morning..

DownBottom

@Smonae! Hi there!

IsThisThingOn…

Morning Smonae!

Apparition

Morning Smonae

A.J.

School is about structure and discipline and the sooner people learn that the sooner teachers can just teach.
__________ everyone is running amuck!

Anna

A.J. says:

Keep it natural; braid it or pull it into something. If her hair looks like its coming to me, it’s a distraction! Her hair is all over the place!

There should be no “Macy Gray’s” in the classroom.

~~~~~~
Right, her natural hair does not have to be all over the place.

lovezoe

diversity and prepare you for the outside world;
—–
Exactly. So folks need to worry about something besides hair.

MisTaken :cell: The Black Mamba

And these special feelings won’t ever fade… Cause I knew from the start……You put a move on my heart…

There were no complaints about her “unruly” “unkempt” hair by administrators UNTIL she complained that she was being bullied/teased by other kids (she has worn her hair the same the entire school year). If there was a policy on this not being acceptable before why wasnt it addressed until she complained of being bullied by other kids about her hair? They chose then to pull the “policy” out of the handbook and say well we suggest you cut/comb restyle your hair. When is the issue of her being bullied going to be addressed or is that acceptable b/c she has a lazy mom that doesnt allows her child to have an identity rather than put pig tails in her hair

IsThisThingOn…

OutsidetheBox says:

If i had.. #key words..

___________________

Please use your words…

Nakeya_J or Keke thanks to Unshake

Good Morning yall!!

@Donte, yes I agree with you about both the momma and the school being wrong.

And whom ever said that this was Blue Ivy’s future, I hate you! :Hahaha:

Anna

gypsyeyes says:

It’s one thing to be expressive and one thing to just not care. There was a lil girl when my kids were in elementary school that wore all of these butterflies in her hair. They moved whenever she moved her head and my daughter would get in trouble. She sat behind the lil girl and would touch the wings when they moved. So they moved my daughter and the next kid did the same thing. So finally they had to tell the mother to not put them in her hair as they were a distraction. People have to know when to hold them and when to fold them. School is not the place to be self expressive. School is about structure and discipline and the sooner people learn that the sooner teachers can just teach.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Kids need to keep their hands to themselves. When I was a kid we wore braids & beads. My hair is not a dog you pet.

yall go right ahead and keep raising yall kids to be mindless sheep. my kids are going to need somebody to work for them.

everybody aint able.

Smonae

OTB hi beauty

It depends on the schools handbook, I’ve seen some that detail exactly what the child can wear Mon-Fri and give detail on how boys/girls hair should be worn to school.
Their motto is grooming yourself like young professionals, this is kindergarden.

Im natural so Im all for rocking ur natural hair, maybe she should try a public school everything goes

Cornel West, Michaela Angela Davis, Miri Ben Ari…..yeah chile, they doing bad. no success at all with that “slave hair”

Jesus be some freedom papers

michelle fua

@sandra are you calling this little girl self centered and a future narcissist she doesn’t want to change her hair to appeal to the school? If so, shame on you. If anything this experience will strengthen the girls character and teach her not to bow down or to assimilate into what society deems “normal”. I’m glad she’s sticking to her natural hair in its natural state and isn’t getting a perm or straightening the sense out of her hair.

michelle fua

A.J. says:

I want her to get grown and go to a job interview with hair like that and see that she wont move past the waiting area!!

My response:

I’m sure with her talent and abilities will not reduce her to begging for a job from someone who has a problem with the way her hair naturally grows out of her scalp. I hope that if you have children, you are teaching them that they can remain true to who they are and to get in a position where they can work for themselves and not have to worry about rejection from others.

michelle fua

The comments on this blog are amazing. Not enough outrage over this. Too many of who I assume are Black women are saying that the little girl needs to get it together with her hair. It’s wrong. I think her hair looks gorgeous just the way it is. It’s a shame that black women have been conditioned mentally to reject the state of natural hair in any form. My heart weeps for us and our future children.

http://twitter.com/SayItaIntSoJoe8 Atypical

This IS her natural hair though…Whats not natural is putting creme in your hair to straighten your naturally curly hair but I digress. White people (yes I said that) are uncomfortable with her hair because its not straight. I can’t imagine a group of 12 year olds being fascinated by an afro.. everyday…to the point where its distracting…#inmypailmoonyvoice If your hair is relaxed, white people are relaxed, if your hair is nappy, white people aren’t happy..

LittleBigMouth

@michelle gua, I agree with you. Most of the comments that are saying the little girl is wrong are from those of us working 9-5’s. the comment about her going for a job interview and not getting hired is testament to that. I doubt this girl is looking for a career inside a cubicle judging by the violin in her hand. She seems creative with a mind of her own, I think she’ll be just fine with her hair. And on the subject of her hair, it is combed, it’s just big. Calling it a distraction is insulting. These aren’t pieces she’s added to her hair, this is how it grows from her scalp. It’s not like her hair is matted. The unkempt comment is ridiculous. The comb it and pull it back sounds like corporate slavery and assimilation at its finest. I’m natural and I’ve worn my hair blown out and wild, no problems. Her hair looks fine to me. Nothing about it says her mother is lazy. This is the age girls start to do their own hair and if she wants to wear it out, so what?

free

she’s rocking that shyt! i like it.

free

it looks worse in the pic than it did on tv.

MSVALLDAY

A.J. says:

Well listen (don’t turn up on me) If I had a child, she or he would not be allowed to leave the house with their hair looking like hers!
AND a 12 year old would not have self-identity in my household. I will provide identities in this MF!! #oldschool #blamesociety

_____________________________________________

I so want to you right now!

Crickett

Vandyke?? I need a pic of the mother. When I was a child I could not wear my hair “out” unless it was a special occasion because my father said so. It just wasn’t proper and was considered being fast. In ballet, our hair had to be in a bun. If it the rules of the school, a Christian faith based school that probably also wears uniforms and not mini-skirts and t-shirts then there is a uniformed look. My daughter couldn’t wear different color barrettes in her hair, only blue and black. It’s not picking on her identity, hair texture, ethnicity or otherwise. I think she should save the identity for afterschool.

§ðçñµëþÿüîœæß

I saw this story several days ago. I knew eventually Sandra Rose would pick it up, late or not I didnt know what side of the story Sandra would take.lol. I guess looking back, I could have guessed. Maybe if she were browner Some of yall are plain ol evil. Maybe it was humid when this picture/screenshot was snapped. Ive seen others where her hair looked out right gorge…Same style, not as dry. Whatever the case, Im not gone do this. Not the day bfore a 4 day Holiday Yall can miss me with the devils agenda. I will not. You people never cease to amaze. Good luck.

Torae

Her hair is unkept now? This is how black hair grows out of the scalp WITHOUT a a sew in, relaxer or 100 hundred pony tail holders in place. Wow wow wow..unbelievable that black women are cosigning…unbelievable. It seems that black people want so hard to fit it to white society, so bad that they’re willing to excuse these white folks rants against our natural selves. Give that girl a relaxer and a 22 inch yaki sew in so she fit in with the rest of you self hating negroes……sick

PrincipalShellz

As a school administrator, I can honestly say that the school did not handle this situation well. You don’t threaten to expel a student over this type of hair style. I wonder what type of results this school has, especially for them to allow this amount of focus on something that is simply not a lever of student achievement. I don’t see an issue with her hair, unless it’s so big that other students can’t see the board, which may be an issue, but it doesn’t appear to be where the issue arose. This entire situation is a failure of the school system. I A good administrator would be able to problem solve this situation to solution without any media input.

do yall even remember what Gilda Radner looked like? Gene Wilder? hell, Albert Einstein even had a jew-fro!!

but naw, you cant be successful unless you tame that mane

Sakeena

I’m with you Torae! Her hair looks fine. It looks like it has been blown out or combed out.

Sakeena

I am so disappointed to see the above comments.

KrayZKat

I’m so thankful for MLK, Malcolm X and our brothers and sisters before us who paved the way for our freedom.

If we had the Civil Rights movement today, we’d still be in chains. Reading some of these comments tells me that not only have we gone backwards since integration, but Blacks have become weak, pathetic, and conformists. It’s sad, tragic and pathetic to say the least.

A woman on another thread who used to attend this “Christian” school said that many of the White girls had pink and all kinds of colors in their hair, yet they went unchecked. I guess pink, blue, and purple hair isn’t a distraction as long as it’s on the head of an alabaster.

Also, this “Christian” school would NOT have accepted Jesus as his hair was as we say, NAPPY! I guess we’d tell Jesus, “Jesus, you better tame that mane.” Ridiculous!

Our next generations will take us back 100 years because some of the people raising them just don’t get it.

Happy Thanksgiving.

http://gravatar.com/sincerity7 Sincerity7

Just my personal opinion, butttttt I think the girl’s mama might be Caucasian and has no clue how to do the girl’s hair.